Certificate ceremony for emerging building contractors in the Western Cape | Western Cape Government

News

News

Certificate ceremony for emerging building contractors in the Western Cape

7 July 2016

A total of 27 owners of emerging Western Cape construction businesses have successfully completed accredited training on how to run their businesses more effectively. They will receive a certificate of competence from the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) in Cape Town on 8 July 2016. The training forms part of the Contractor Development Programme of the Department of Transport and Public Works.

The course began in July 2015, and participants attended training for one week every month over a period of ten months. To qualify, applicants had to be contractors with registered construction businesses, active in the industry for at least two years, with a Level 1 or 2 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) rating. The training components were:

  1. enterprise development, 
  2. building the construction business, 
  3. applying innovative safety principles to the construction site, and
  4. managing the construction site.
     

The Department is constantly looking for ways to assist emerging contractors to benefit from government infrastructure projects and, at the same time, to meet its empowerment targets. The modular course design makes it possible for participants to receive intensive training for a week every month, and to spend the remaining three weeks of the month actively managing their businesses.

The training has already opened doors for some participants. Shuaib Julius, owner of Almagate Projects in Ravensmead, has recently been awarded a subcontracting opportunity on a major City of Cape Town project. He began working on this project on 27 June 2016.

Erica van der Merwe, owner of Bastile Building Concepts in Grabouw, did not have any work when she started the training programme. She has now been awarded a subcontract for construction work on Pineview Primary School in Grabouw, one of the Department’s education infrastructure projects. Erica was also assigned a mentor to assist her to develop aspects of her business. She is expected to commence working on the Pineview project on 20 July 2016.

The Department will continue to offer structured programmes that facilitate the development of emerging enterprises in the construction industry through skills and business enhancement initiatives. Applications are open for the next Contractor Development Programme training course to begin in July or August 2016 (dates to be confirmed).

Members of the media are invited to attend. (Please indicate your intention to attend)

Date: 8 July 2016
Time: 9:30
Venue: The Lady Hamilton, 10 Union Street, Gardens, Cape Town

Media Enquiries: 

Byron la Hoe
Communication Officer
Department of Transport and Public Works
Tel: 021 483 9813
Cell: 079 281 8570
Email: byron.lahoe@westerncape.gov.za

You can follow the Department of Transport and Public Works on Twitter: @WCGovTPW